Definition: The fundamental properties of something that determine how it could be used.
Insight: Reducing the possible applications of something can increase the clarity of its affordance; conversely increasing the features of something could make it more versatile but reduce the clarity of its affordance and make it less easy to use.
Reference: Donald Norman: "Affordances provide strong clues to the operations of things. Plates are for pushing. Knobs are for turning. Slots are for inserting things into. Balls are for throwing or bouncing. When affordances are taken advantage of, the user knows what to do just by looking: no picture, label, or instruction needed."
Example: What matters to us about the ground at our feet is that it is something on which to stand, walk, build, or grow rather than its colour, for example.
Insight: We view things in the world by what they can provide us, rather than their actual qualities.
Insight: A product's affordance are what the users can achieve by using them.
Reference: James J. Gibson: "The affordances of the environment are what it offers..., what it provides or furnishes, either for good or ill."
Insight: Things that are over-engineered are difficult to use.
Reference: Donald Norman, design critic - the concept of 'natural mapping' - how things are used. Objects should have clear affordances - elements that make it easy to understand how to use them (handles, switches, grips etc.)
Example: For animals their environment consists primarily of affordances: things they can mate with, eat, shelter.
Insight: Every human and animal has a set of things in the world that matter to it, that it can use.
Reference: James Gibson, 1979, developed the notion of affordances - that we perceive the world in terms of opportunities for action - a door for opening, stairs for climbing.
Definition: What things can do for us, and what we can do with them.
Insight: Affordances are quickly determined - without words.
IV. Summary of Key Insights & Principles
Design
We perceive things for what they can do for us, or what we can do with them.
Affordances are critical to communicating function.
Reducing the number of possible applications for something can greatly increase the clarity of its affordance.
Well designed affordances can significantly enhance user experience.
Clarity and simplicity of an object's affordances is highly correlated to its usage.
Context and culture change affordances.
Design objects and products with clear affordances.
Simplify design to make objects intuitive.
Consider context and culture when creating affordances.
